Ref: 118/2007

Date: 08 September  2007

Time: 12:00 GMT

PCHR strongly condemns the Executive Force for forcibly preventing Friday Prayers in public areas organized by Fatah and other PLO factions. The Centre also condemns the arrests and attacks by the Executive Force perpetrated during the prevention of the prayers, most notably the detention of Dr. Zakaria El-Agha, member of the PLO Executive Committee, Mr. Ibrahim Abu El-Naja, Head of the Higher Follow Up Committee of National and Islamic Parties, and other leaders and activists from Fatah and other PLO factions. The Centre also condemns the attacks on a number of journalists covering the events. The Centre calls upon the dismissed government in Gaza to rescind its position to ban Friday Prayers in public areas. The Centre affirms the full and legitimate right to hold prayers in public areas and to organized non-violent demonstrations and marches as methods of expression and protest protected by the Palestinian Basic Law and International Human Rights Law.

The Center’s preliminary investigation indicates that hundreds of members of the Executive Force armed with guns and sticks deployed heavily throughout the Gaza Strip to prevent Friday Prayers in public areas held for the third consecutive week. The call for these prayers was issued by Fatah and other PLO factions to protest the use of mosques by Hamas for propaganda. In addition, members of Izzedeen El-Qassam Battalions deployed on Thursday evening, and civilians affiliated with Hamas were deployed as well.

When the time of Friday Prayers neared, people started to arrive in public areas designated for the purpose in different cities, villages, and refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. They were prevented by force from gathering in these areas. PCHR documented many instances in which members of the Executive Force beat participants in the prayers with sticks. In addition, gunfire was used on several occasions. Despite a few instances in which youth threw stones at Force members who tried to disperse them, the majority of participants generally preserved the peaceful nature protest and did not resort to any violence. Nonetheless, they were dispersed by force. Some of them were injured; and dozens were detained, including leaders and members of the PLO and Fatah. Journalists covering the events were also attacked.

In Gaza City, the Executive Force intercepted people heading to perform Friday Prayers in public areas by beating them. Dozens detained. PCHR’s fieldworker stated that 14 journalists and cameramen were subjected to various assaults as they were covering the events.

Sawwah Abu Seif (40) who is a cameraman for German TV stated that he was covering members of the Force beating a person in the Katiba area in the western part of Gaza City. When they saw him taking photographs, they beat him with their hands and feet. He added that they tried to take the tape by force, which resulted in breaking part of the camera; but they left him afterwards.

Zakaria Abu Harbid (38), a cameraman for Ramattan News Agency, stated that a group of colleagues and himself were interviewing Fatah leaders Dr. Zakaria El-Agha and Mr. Ibrahim Abu El-Naja. Members of the Force pulled the microphone from his colleague Mo’min El-Shrafi and slapped him on the face. He cut off the interview and ran away. The Force members chased him and took an empty cassette.

Ibrahim Abd El-Hafith Yaghi (26), a Ramattan cameraman, stated that he was covering an attack by Force members on a person. The Force members approached him and demanded the tape. They beat him and injured him on the head. He added that he was detained and taken to the Jawazat Police Compound, where he was insulted and humiliated before he was presented to a physician. The physician stitched the cut in the head; and he was released.

PCHR’s fieldworker stated that the Executive Force detained another 4 journalists and cameramen covering the events from the rooftop of Mushtaha building near El-Katiba area. Three of the journalists were from Pal-Media, including the Director Mohammad El-Af, and cameramen Mohammad Jaber and Samir El-Boji. The fourth journalist was Abd El-Latif El-Shrafi, a cameraman for Russian TV. El-Shrafi informed the fieldworker they were held for 2 hours in Gaza Central Prison before their release.

In another incident, the journalist Fathi Sabbah (45) from London-based Al-Hayyat Newspaper and LBC TV correspondent stated that he was beaten and insulted by a Hamas activist in civilian clothes as he was covering the events.

At approximately 13:00, the Executive Force stormed the offices of the PLO near El-Katiba area in western Gaza City. They detained Dr. Zakaria El-Agha, member of the PLO Executive Committee, Mr. Ibrahim Abu El-Naja, Head of the Higher Follow Up Committee of National and Islamic Parties, Dr. Ahmad Naser, former Fatah MP and leader, and 14 others including 10 females. Abu El-Naja informed PCHR’s fieldworker that they headed to the PLO office after the prevention of Friday Prayers and attacks on journalists. However, they were surprised by the Executive Force breaking in the building and preventing them from leaving. Then they were detained and taken by bus to Gaza Central Prison. They were held till 17:30. Abu El-Naja stated that the detention was conducted in line with a political decision.

Sana El-Aydi (51), who was detained, stated that members of the Force insulted her and other females, and cursed FAtah leaders. They females were forced to sign a commitment letter not to participate in any demonstrations under penalty of a 4,000 Jordanian Dinars fine.

The Central part of the Gaza Strip witnessed similar events. Members of the Executive Force deployed at the entrances of refugee camps to prevent people from heading to the designated public areas for Friday Prayers, El-Haddad area west of El-Bureij refugee camp. Force members chased participants, beat them, and fired in the air and on the ground. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital received 23 injured persons, 6 by gunfire shrapnel and the rest suffering from bruises. In addition, 25 people were detained.

The most notable events in the central Gaza Strip occurred at the entrance of El-Bureij refugee camp. The Executive Force intercepted dozens of people and prevented them from advancing, beating them with sticks. PCHR’s fieldworker stated that a gunshot was heard. The Force responded by firing heavily in the air and on the ground. As a result 6 people were injured by gunshot shrapnel. Seven others suffered bruises as a result of the beatings. Abd El-Salam Shehada, Ramattan Production Director, was covering the events. However the Executive Force prevented him from taking photage, and beat him with gun butts, as he informed PCHR’s fieldworker in the central Gaza Strip.

In El-Maghazi refugee camp, the Executive Force chased people heading to Friday Prayers in public areas, and beat some of them with sticks. As a result, they headed back to the refugee camp and performed prayers in front of the Grand Mosque in the center of the refugee camp. After prayers, nearly 700 people went out in a peaceful demonstration. However they were dispersed by force, resulting in the injury of 5 people by bruises.

The Executive Force also attacked people in Deir El-Balah and Nuseirat, and prevented them from prayer in public areas. In addition, several people were detained. Yusef Hasan El-Ostath (35) from Deir El-Balah stated that the Executive Force intercepted the vehicle transporting himself and several young people to the area designated for prayers. They were detained and taken to the Deir El-Balah police station. They were beaten by sticks. He fainted and woke up to find himself in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

In Khan Yunis, hundreds of Executive Force members deployed in the city, refugee camp, and surrounding towns and villages. In addition, Force members deployed near the designated public area for prayers in Castle Square, and forcefully dispersed people arriving for prayers. PCHR’s fieldworker stated that worshippers headed to perform prayers in Sunna Mosque. Several youth threw rocks at the Executive Force, which chased and dispersed them. He added that one person was beaten and fainted.

The Force and Izzedeen El-Qassam Battalions also prevented prayers in New Abasan, Khuza’a and Bani Suhaila to the east of Khan Yunis. They fired shots to disperse participants, and beat several with sticks. The people responded by throwing rocks at the Force. Eight people were injured by gunshot shrapnel and bullets. They were taken to Naser and European hospitals, where their injuries were listed as light to moderate. The Child Mo’min Mohammad Abu Amer (6) was injured by a bullet in the right leg. In addition, more than 20 people were injured by rocks or beating. PCHR’s fieldworker in Khan Yunis stated that the Force detained several people in Khan Yunis.

In Rafah, PCHR’s fieldworker stated that hundreds of members of the Executive Force and Hamas members deployed in the streets leding to Nejma Square, designated for Friday Prayers. Force members fired machine guns in the air and used sticks to beat several people and detain them. Two young men were injured by gunfire and taken to Mohammad Yusef El-Najjar hospital for treatment. The injured are Ayman Mot’e El-Mo’asher (25), injured by a bullet in the right thigh and shrapnel in the back, and Talal Abd El-Raziq (23) injured by shrapnel in the abdomen and thighs. Eleven others, including 3 women, were beaten by the Force and admitted to the hospital. The Force released approximately 30 people, most of them Fatah leaders and members, after several hours. Some of them were beaten by sticks.

In the northern Gaza Strip, Executive Force and Hamas members deployed in several area, most notably Anwar Aziz Mosque area and Khalaf land in Jabalia refugee camp and in the Sheikh Zayed Housing project area. They prevented prayers in these areas and beat people with sticks. PCHR’s fieldworker saw Force members beat several people in Aziz Mosque area. He added that civilian-clothed Hamas members participated in the beatings. He also stated that civilian and military vehicles were used to disperse people by driving at high speed among demonstrators. In addition, armed groups or masked gunmen wearing black clothes, suspected of being Izzedeen El-Qassam members, participated in the attacks.

After dispersing people from the Aziz Mosque area, the Executive Force raided several houses and detained several people from Jabalia refugee camp and Tal El-Za’tar area. Some of the released detainees stated that they were beaten and tortured during detention. Mohammad Ramzi Aziz (21), who was detained and released, stated that he was beaten by a thick stick with his hands cuffed behind his back. The beating was mostly on the legs and buttocks. He added that interrogators passed an electric wire with current over his legs twice. Another detainee, Abd Rabbo Hasan Aziz (39), stated that he was severely beaten when he was held in the Jabalia police station. The beating included beating on the bottom of the feet.

In Jabalia town, the Force dispersed people gathered to pray in an open area near El-Qotati mosque. The Force used bullets and sticks to disperse them, injuring 12 people with bruises and 3 with gunshot wounds. The people injured by bullets and gunshot shrapnel are:

• Zaher Mohammad Naser (20), injured by a bullet in the right thigh.

• Mohammad Mohammad Naser (16), injured by shrapnel in the neck and left thigh.

• Mohammad Mahmoud Abu Warda (48), injured by shrapnel in the eyes and cuts in the head.

PCHR’s fieldworker stated that prior to Friday, the Executive Force conducted an arrests campaign targeting tens of Fatah members and leaders in the northern Gaza Strip. The detainees were beaten and tortured before their release after signing commitments not to participate in any actions against Hamas and the Executive Force.

In light of these developments, PCHR:

• Strongly condemns preventing people from prayer in public areas and dispersing them by force, including the use of firearms and beating with sticks as well as other forms of violence and inhumane treatment.

• Affirms people’s full and legitimate right to hold prayers in public areas and to organized non-violent demonstrations and marches as methods of expression and protest protected by the Palestinian Basic Law and International Human Rights Law.

• Strongly condemns attacks on journalists to prevent them from working freely, and calls for respecting journalists’ rights.

• Strongly condemns the detention of Dr. Zakaria El-Agha and Mr. Ibrahim Abu El-Naja, and other Fatah activists and leaders; and condemns the beatings and assaults on people heading to perform prayers in public areas or during the arrest and detention of people by the Executive Force.

• Strongly condemns the participation of Izzedeen El-Qassam members and civilian Hamas members in attacks on people, stressing that these persons are not law-enforcement personnel and do not possess any jurisdiction to perform the illegal actions they perpetrated in dispersing demonstrators by force.

• Calls upon the dismissed government in Gaza to immediately investigate these attacks and prosecute their perpetrators, and to take serious actions to prevent their recurrence; and calls upon this government to rescind its decision to ban prayers in public areas.